diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4484f37e..65f00a99 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ endif()
 # Generic version of not only the library. Major version is reserved for really big changes of the project,
 # minor version changes with added functionality (new tool, functionality of the tool or library, ...) and
 # micro version is changed with a set of small changes or bugfixes anywhere in the project.
-set(NP2SRV_VERSION 2.8.4)
+set(NP2SRV_VERSION 2.8.5)
 
 # libyang required version
 set(LIBYANG_DEP_VERSION 5.1.3)
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ set(LIBYANG_DEP_SOVERSION 5.1.3)
 set(LIBYANG_DEP_SOVERSION_MAJOR 5)
 
 # libnetconf2 required version
-set(LIBNETCONF2_DEP_VERSION 4.2.0)
-set(LIBNETCONF2_DEP_SOVERSION 5.2.0)
+set(LIBNETCONF2_DEP_VERSION 4.3.3)
+set(LIBNETCONF2_DEP_SOVERSION 5.3.9)
 set(LIBNETCONF2_DEP_SOVERSION_MAJOR 5)
 
 # sysrepo required version
diff --git a/scripts/merge_config.sh b/scripts/merge_config.sh
index 78c52d28..a049be0b 100755
--- a/scripts/merge_config.sh
+++ b/scripts/merge_config.sh
@@ -68,13 +68,6 @@ if [ -n "$AUTH_CONFIG" ]; then
                 </users>"
 fi
 
-SSH_BANNER=""
-# check if the NP2_VERSION environment variable is set
-if [ -n "$NP2_VERSION" ]; then
-    # get the banner from the NP2_VERSION environment variable
-    SSH_BANNER="<banner xmlns=\"urn:cesnet:libnetconf2-netconf-server\">netopeer2-netconf-server-${NP2_VERSION}</banner>"
-fi
-
 # import default config
 CONFIG="<netconf-server xmlns=\"urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-netconf-server\">
     <listen>
@@ -89,7 +82,6 @@ CONFIG="<netconf-server xmlns=\"urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-netconf-server\
                     </tcp-server-parameters>
                     <ssh-server-parameters>
                         <server-identity>
-                            ${SSH_BANNER}
                             <host-key>
                                 <name>default-key</name>
                                 <public-key>
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 3a76ed76..483c9262 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -909,6 +909,12 @@ server_init(void)
     /* if PAM is not supported, the function will return an error, but don't check it, because PAM is not required */
     nc_server_ssh_set_pam_conf_filename("netopeer2.conf");
 
+    /* set SSH protocol string to send to clients */
+    if (nc_server_ssh_set_protocol_string("netopeer2_" NP2SRV_VERSION)) {
+        ERR("Setting SSH protocol string failed.");
+        goto error;
+    }
+
     /* set authorized_keys path format to by default {client_home}/.ssh/authorized_keys */
     if (nc_server_ssh_set_authkey_path_format(NP2SRV_SSH_AUTHORIZED_KEYS_FORMAT)) {
         ERR("Setting authorized_keys path format failed.");